They play the guitar on the MTV

Thursday

Members of the Springfield indie-pop band What’s Fair still get a kick out of hearing their music on MTV shows such as “Jersey Shore” and “The Real World.”

So when Timmy Costello recently indulged some patrons at J.T. Costelloe’s, a pub and grill he owns with his parents John “Coz” and Carol Costello, the patrons were surprised, said Costello, 31, who plays guitar, bass and drums and is one of the band’s primary songwriters.

What’s Fair is getting plenty of attention, but it’s doing it in a non-traditional way. The band, which has been together since 2008, has put out just one album, 2010’s “Fill the Space,” and has played only a handful of live shows.

Three of its members — Costello, Faith Wheaton (piano/keyboards) and Justin Valenti (guitar) — live in Springfield. But lead singer Jo Pollock lives in Chicago.

And all the members have full-time professions. Costello runs the Piper Glen restaurant. Wheaton is a veterinary technician at White Oaks West Animal Hospital. Valenti is an optometrist. Pollock is a social worker at Fenger High School in Chicago.

The right connections, mainly with California-based producer and engineer Sergio Chavez, helped land the band an exclusive licensing deal with MTV. Costello said the network can use any of the music from “Fill the Space” in any of its programming.

Some of the clips have been up to a minute long and plug the band’s name and information for downloading songs. That, plus royalties from streaming services such as Netflix, have made the band social media darlings, even as they live in anonymity.

“They’re using our music, that we wrote and Sergio (Chavez) produced,” Costello said. “I know what MTV wanted it for. It’s cheaper for them to use our music (rather than more established acts.)”
“Any exposure the band can claim is from (the MTV shows),” said Wheaton, 31. “And we’re grateful for it.”

Still, Pollock, 28, claims her students at the South Side high school don’t know her band’s music is on shows such as “Catfish” and “16 and Pregnant” — shows geared for their age group.

“I want (students) to see me as a social worker, not a rock star,” said Pollock, who grew up in Jacksonville. “(That our) music is getting a lot of attention and I’m not, I’m OK with that.”

Costello says the current model of the band “wouldn’t have worked in the ’60s.” And “compatible computer programs,” said Costello, have allowed he and Pollock to write songs despite being separated by 200 miles.

The band is writing more songs with an eye toward a summer session with Chavez in California, and a new record possibly within a year, Costello said.

If bigger things come the band’s way, like a possible tour, Pollock says members are in a position to at least consider it.

“Right now, in this moment, this model works for us,” said Pollock, who recently got married. “If we get an offer for something bigger, I think we would all take the opportunity and drop (our careers) temporarily.”

Steven Spearie can be reached at spearie@hotmail.com or at 622-1788.

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